Strategic Materials, Inc., a North American glass recycler, just announced the expansion of its manufacturing footprint by opening a new, state-of-the-art crushed glass abrasives production facility in Houston.
According to the company, the new facility was built in response to the regional surface preparation market demand and noticeable industry shift to worker health-conscious and eco-friendly abrasive products.
The more than 30,000-square-foot facility began production in early December 2019 with improved bagging technology and production line capabilities, supporting plans to more than triple the abrasive product output in the new year, with plans for further expansion in 2021.
“It’s an exciting time for our business. With our new facility, we’ve increased capacity and are able to better meet demand with a higherquality product,” said Denis Suggs, Strategic Materials president and CEO, in a statement. “This investment also allows us to improve product availability and therefore, turnaround times, and further solidifies our position as the market leader for crushed glass abrasives.”
Strategic Materials’ crushed glass abrasives are sold under the brand name TRUABRASIVES and are produced from recycled glass. After a thorough cleaning process, the glass is screened into to a variety of sizes, primarily being used to remove old coatings or prepping new surfaces in precast concrete, tanks, bridges, refineries and shipyards.
The new Houston location is expected to replace the company’s current Houston facility mid-year and will retain its existing employees. The facility will produce other recycled glass products for sale into highway bead, fiberglass insulation and glass container markets. The company will host a grand opening late January.